The present invention relates to packages made for example from cardboard or similar materials and used for grouping together a plurality of beverage containers such as bottles.
The grouping of bottles, particularly beer bottles, poses particular problems. In order to prevent degradation of the product in time, it is necessary to group bottles in an entirely closed outer cardboard package. The conventional method of making such a closed package or carton, commonly called a "small case" includes starting with a single blank of folded and pre-pasted cardboard, putting the blank into a desired shape, placing the contents in the shaped package and then completing the putting into shape and fixing various fixing parts of the blank together. This technique requires the use of extremely complex and expensive machines. Furthermore, it requires pasting of several parts, particularly side parts. It is preferable to use locking tongues which are much easier to handle and more economical, since it is not necessary to provide a paste application device on the machine. It is advisable to further improve the construction of such closed packages in many aspects.